Donald Trump's diplomatic strategy in his second term is seen as a far cry from Washington's traditional approach.
Trump is now focusing more on "Transactional Diplomacy", an approach based on economic and trade gains in negotiations with China, rather than focusing solely on ideological or geopolitical issues.
The presence of big corporate figures such as Elon Musk and Jensen Huang in the official delegation to Beijing also gives a clear picture that Trump wants to open up more opportunities for American companies in the Chinese market.
This approach shows that US-China relations are now increasingly driven by the interests of technology, trade and investment.
Musk is seen as playing an important role in the electric vehicle and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors, especially to ensure that Tesla, Inc. continues to remain competitive in China's increasingly fierce EV market.
At the same time, Huang has become an important symbol in the struggle for global technology dominance through the semiconductor and AI chip industries.
"America First" Through Aggressive Trade
For Trump, the main goal of the visit is to reduce the trade deficit between the United States and China. He wants Beijing to increase its purchases of American products, including in the aerospace and agricultural sectors, which are the backbone of the US domestic economy.
In the aviation sector, Trump reportedly wants China to revive large orders for aircraft from The Boeing Company after trade relations between the two countries were previously affected by political tensions. The move is important to support the manufacturing industry and job opportunities in America.
In addition, the agricultural sector is also a priority when Trump wants China to increase its purchases of American agricultural products such as soybeans. The request is seen as important to strengthen the support of US rural voters who are among his main supporters.
Trump is also reported to be encouraging large Chinese companies to invest and build factories in the United States. This approach is in line with the "America First" agenda, which wants more products sold in the US to be assembled by local workers.
China Wants Technology Restrictions to Be Removed
On the Chinese side, Xi Jinping has his own agenda as Beijing wants to reduce pressure from US technology restrictions that are seen to be affecting the country's economic growth. China is now seeking greater access to advanced chip technology to accelerate the development of the local AI and semiconductor industries.
Without access to high-performance chips from companies like NVIDIA Corporation, China’s ambitions to emerge as a global AI superpower are set to face significant challenges. Beijing hopes that improved trade relations will pave the way for Washington to ease its technology restrictions.
At the same time, China is also keen to restore foreign investor confidence in its slowing economy. The presence of the CEO of a major American company in Beijing is seen as a signal that China is still open to foreign investment despite geopolitical uncertainty and global trade pressures.
The development suggests that US-China relations are increasingly moving towards business-based diplomacy, with corporations and investment becoming the main instruments in negotiations between the world’s two largest economies.
